WISHING WIRE
Volunteer Newsletter| Issue 1 2014
Cooper’s wish was a grand slam
Ten year-old Cooper has Wilms’ tumour.
A mad tennis fan, his most cherished wish
was to meet his idol, tennis champion Rafael
Nadal.
There were plenty of setbacks along the way. First,
Cooper relapsed and had to put off his wish until he
was well enough. Then, in 2013, Cooper was all set
to meet the star when Rafa got an injury and pulled
out of the Australian Open. But Cooper was patient
and his moment finally came in January when MakeA-Wish got last-minute confirmation that Cooper
would get to meet Rafa at this year’s Australian Open.
Volunteer Newsletter | Issue 1 2014
The day arrived, and even the scorching heat couldn’t
wipe the smile off Cooper’s face. When Rafa’s
management banished the media, Cooper had the
star all to himself, and the two were soon relaxed
and chatting. Rafa, a huge soccer fan, was thrilled
to receive a Socceroos jersey as a gift from Cooper,
saying he’d wear it to his training session the next day
– which made Cooper’s smile even bigger.
Cooper’s wish brought him and his family so much
excitement and joy – and with a giant tennis ball signed
“to my friend Cooper” as a souvenir, he’s not likely to
forget this special day anytime soon. Thank you for
helping to make wishes like Cooper’s come true. ■
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